Brothers
by flowinthestream12
Summary: According to unreliable Rita Skeeter, Ron Weasley switched from his career as an Auror to co-managing Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with George Weasley after 2 years. She implied that he might have a mental illness and that he still struggled with living in Harry's shadow. This is a ONE SHOT of how the conversation might have gone between Ron and Harry before Ron made the switch.


**Brothers**

Harry closed the door behind them. He would not have anyone invade their privacy and Ron very much needed it. Ron had just barely passed yet another test to become an Auror. It was not with flying colors as they had hoped. Harry knew that Ron needed a quiet place to vent and his cubicle was the best place for it in the Ministry of Magic.

"_Mufliato_," Harry waved his wand at the door to be sure.

Ron was working himself into a disheveled state.

"Look at that!" Ron jabbed his finger at Harry's heavily marked calendar, "Look how close we are! Just one more year and it'll be over! No more stupid character and aptitude tests, no more -"

"And you think all of our problems will just magically go away when training's over?" Harry asked him quietly, "Huh?"

Ron was speechless for a moment before he croaked out, "_Won't_ they?"

Harry had seen Ron's confidence deflate before. But, that was nothing compared to now. Ron limply dropped his tall, lanky self onto a chair. Harry approached him, thinking as hard as his friend. He gulped as he drew up a chair with his wand to sit across from Ron.

"The stuff that we've seen ... it's a wonder how I managed _this_ long without going mad -"

"Stop it. Stop that right now," Harry grabbed Ron's large hand and clenched it hard. "You're not mad. Ron, look at me. You're not mad. You're _hurt_. And there is nothing - _**nothing**_- wrong with that!" He assured him firmly.

He watched Ron for a moment. Red head downcast, blue eyes stormy with a promise of tears, and freckled skin twitching. During the tests, Harry oftentimes disassociated himself so that he could cope with the task at hand. This also dulled his senses to what's reasonable in dealing with a very dangerous situation. Ron was the same way. Harry had the same storm raging in his head.

He was just better at hiding it. This was both a good and a bad thing. While he places it on the backburner to complete the case, it rots away at his spirit. He was doing something he was passionate about. The task would get done, the test completed ... but at what cost to his wellbeing?

Ron has been visibly cracking under the pressure for a while now. It was only a matter of time before he snapped. _Was it a matter of when for Harry, too?_

"But maybe you should borrow my glasses." Harry said with a smirk. Ron looked up quizzically and Harry elaborated, "'Cause if you don't see that I'm hurt too ... I think you're more blind than I am."

Harry first changed after he witnessed Voldemort return when he was almost fifteen. He handled Sirius's assassination much better than he had done with Cedric, though he missed the former terribly to this day. Witnessing Dumbledore be assassinated by Snape, even though he now understood that it was arranged by the wizard himself, still revisited him in his nightmares from time to time. He even lost his owl, Hedwig.

He did not see Remus Lupin die, but Harry had seen his body. Harry now was involved in Teddy Lupin's upbringing. He wanted to be the godfather that Sirius was robbed of becoming. It was not an easy task, balancing that in his personal life and career. Ron had lost his brother, Fred, in the Battle of Hogwarts. This had changed the Weasley family for worse and for better.

If they were close before, it was pale in comparison to now. Percy had returned to his family and confessed the error of his choices. The death toll was a heavy weight on Ron's shoulders as it was on Harry's. Hermione's, too. But, they were revolutionizing the magical world, side by side.

It was a new world, even if the old one haunted them.

Scarred them all.

"It's been two years, Harry." Ron reminded him in a heavy sigh. "Two _years_. We're not teenagers anymore -"

"I think we stopped being 'teenagers' a tad earlier than most," Harry said in an undertone, grinning ruefully.

"- my family needs me. Mum hates me being an Auror. Hermione needs me. You-Know-Who's gone and there's _still _psychos out there to catch. New ones pop up like gnomes in mum's garden -!"

He could see that Ron was working himself into a panic attack. He noticed Ron's fingers drumming agitatedly on his thin thighs and he looked like he was getting the chills.

Harry cleared his throat, "Just try to relax, Ron."

This was nothing like Ron's nerves going haywire before a Quidditch match. This was bigger than that. It was paramount that he would not have an episode like this while on an Auror assignment.

"She's gonna be deputy head of the department, Harry." said Ron, clearing his throat; Harry understood 'she' to mean Hermione. "We have plans. She's got my whole life mapped out - some of it's in _ink_, Harry!" Harry knew that Ron's anxious mind was back in the cellar of the Malfoy manor, listening to Hermione screaming, "I can't let her down again -!"

"I can't tell you which path to take, mate." He moved his hand to Ron's shoulder. "You've got to figure that one out ... but not alone." He smiled. "I know that Hermione will support you in whatever decision you make ... and so will I."

Harry was never comfortable with crying. He cringed when he remembered his date with Cho Chang long ago. He was weak. But, he would need to be strong for Ron.

"And if you need to talk to someone ... come to me." Harry told him. "I'll always be here."

Ron had a moment of clarity, "I can't expect that." Harry dropped his hand, beginning to protest, but Ron continued, "Thanks, though. But you've done your work, Harry. You spread yourself any thinner and you'll disappear ... wouldn't be the first time."

They had never discussed Harry's sacrifice before. Harry blinked stupidly.

"George needs a co-manager. He knows I'm screwing up - '_struggling_' with training. He keeps dropping hints. It's bloody annoying," Ron cleared his throat. "But, maybe _that's_ my calling ..."

Harry shrugged, suggesting, "Talk to George -"

"Stop thinking for me, Harry!" Ron snapped abruptly.

When he saw the shock in Harry's eyes, Ron wilted in his chair again.

"I've got problems -_serious _problems - that need to be dealt with. I know. This environment ... this job ... it's toxic for me." Ron went on, each word heavier than the last. "I'm sorry."

"You're brothers." Harry said. "You have to be there for each other. That's your job."

Ron grinned, sending relief rolling through Harry, "One of many. _Husband_ ... friend ... son ...," He looked at Harry, "brother."

"The ones that count the most," Harry grinned back. "And I may be biased ... but you're brilliant at them." He noticed that Ron was trembling slightly, "Want me to get Hermione?"

If a panic attack was still imminent, Harry needed to get the one person Ron was most comfortable with.

"... Yeah," Ron said, his voice shaking slightly.


End file.
